Property raid at Singh Mansion

Siddharth Gautam gestures at mediapersons to stay out of the mansion premises during the raid in Dhanbad on Friday. (Gautam Dey)

Dhanbad police on Friday attached the property of Sashi Singh, albeit without valuables, for the Singh Mansion scionís alleged role in the December 7 murder of local Congress leader Suresh Singh.

The 24-year-old, who is wanted for the murder along with his father and cousin, is the son of Dhanbad mayor Indu Singh and nephew of Jharia MLA Kunti Singh. No of them has been arrested.

The court of chief judicial magistrate in-charge M.K. Singh had issued the attachment warrant over 10 days ago.

Around 1.35pm on Friday, a police team led by DSP (law and order) Sanjay Ranjan Singh and other senior officers reached Singh Mansion.

Soon after police arrived, Siddharth Gautam, the youngest son of Kunti, also reached the house in his SUV and objected to the raid in the presence of mediapersons. Police asked reporters and photographers to leave the premises.

DSP Sanjay Ranjan Singh later confirmed the attachment of Sashiís property, but refused to elaborate.

Sources said as many as 42 items, including an air cooler, an air-conditioner, a fridge, a TV set, an almirah, a cot, a dining table and chairs, a suitcase and clothes were taken away from the room of Sashi Singh during the four-hour raid.

On December 13, an arrest warrant had been issued against Sashi based on the application of investigating officer Ravi Thakur, but the former managed to evade arrest, prompting the attachment order on December 21. A notice was pasted on the main gate of Singh Mansion the next day.

Notably, after the attachment warrant was issued, Indu Singh and Kunti Singh had petitioned the court, saying that they had undivided property and police must first identify things belonging exclusively to Sashi. The court had rejected the petition.